Be the Ruler: Britannia
Gameplay
In this game, it’s up to you to create your own story. Be the Ruler is an RPG in which the player takes on the role of a king and leads his dynasty through the ages. Every decision has its implications in the living world. Similar events can have dramatically different consequences. What kind of king you are determines what you can do in the world. Whether you prefer diplomacy, intrigue, conquest - it’s up to you.
Living World
To make Be the Ruler a true Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game, we built a living world where events happen regardless of your decisions. Your actions can influence them - often in unexpected ways. The elements of a living world consist of:
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Randomly created nobles and other NPCs before the start of each game, with different attributes affecting their actions. Noblemen will marry, build their dynasties, and have their own goals. How you respond to them (or not) will determine the consequences of your actions.
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Other kings have their own policies - conquests, alliances, state expansion.
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You have unique relationships with each character in the game. These relationships are affected by your history, as well as how you relate to a particular group (i.e. nobility, priesthood, family).
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If you choose to take action, the consequences will be felt in every aspect of the game - your resources, your relationships, the consequences of your decisions, the options available to you.
You, as king and as dynasty - create your own history in the medieval era.
Features
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Start a family and create a dynasty - raise your descendants. Beware of your siblings, who are waiting to trip you up. Beware of romance.
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Manage an early medieval kingdom based on personal relationships with your vassals. Solve their problems, judge them, punish them. Build relationships based on trust or power.
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Create alliances, conquer provinces.
World
Welcome to the world of early medieval England. Many small kingdoms, which were formed on the ruins of the Roman Empire and the migration of the Saxons to Britain. You will be the king of one of them - Wessex. There are many castles to visit and conquer, towns which will pay you tributes. Mines that give you currency and farms that supply you with grain.
Read More: Best Choices Matter Historical Games.
Nocked! True Tales of Robin Hood
The game Nocked! has you taking on the role of Robin Hood set in a world where myth and magic still has a foothold. You start out as a runaway who takes to Sherwood forest to claim their future.
The game itself contains elements of interactive fiction (think choose your own adventure) as well as resource management. In fact, this was the stand out portion for me.
The first thing you will notice is that you can choose the gender of your Robin, and even some limited background choices which will have some game affects. Additionally, the character of Maid Marian even has some variation which can affect play.
– Real player with 324.1 hrs in game
A really nice CYOA game. It actually reminded me of Mass Effect 2, in that you have a base and companions, and your choices have long-term impact (otherwise it’s entirely dissimilar to ME2; see any screenshot).
There are healthy doses of whimsy in the setting and humour in the writing, and it mixes classic Robin Hood story beats in with more fantastical stuff. It’s comfy and tense, and perfectly paced. The music is also wonderful.
My only gripes are minor (despite this being the biggest paragraph): some of the art is quite bad (the character silhouettes work well, but some of the other stuff looks like programmer art) and the overall graphic design could use work. This is all just window dressing though and doesn’t really matter*. A bigger annoyance is that the checkpoints are a bit far apart for more my liking–I appreciate it discouraging save scumming, but there were a couple of times when I misunderstood an option so badly that I felt unfairly shafted by choosing it, in which case I rolled back and lost lots of progress. The last thing that left a bad taste was the ending: it felt like I had no way of knowing the implications of some of the choices.
– Real player with 32.6 hrs in game
Legends of Eisenwald
It pains me to see that such a great game only has ‘mostly positive’ reviews, whereas, in my opinion, it should have actually been ‘very/overwhelmingly’ instead of ‘mostly’. It is definitely one of my favorite games; in fact, it made my summer last year. I’ve played through it three times (including all the DLCs), twice here on Steam and once elsewhere, and I’m sure I’ll replay it at least for the fourth time.
This game is by the way the first modern RPG I’ve played, and it has also – apart from being a gorgeous experience itself – managed to draw me to the genre (I’ve always preferred playing pure adventure games and eventually strategies) and discover several other awesome games. But this one is going to remain my incomparable first love forever. :) At first I was a bit hesitant about playing it, as some reviews claimed it be too hard/confusing etc., but I cannot agree here. Once I got used to the mechanics, it was a sheer joy to play. At times, ‘Legends of Eisenwald’ can indeed be hard, especially considering your finances at the very beginning and certain fights, but I – almost utterly inexperienced in playing RPGs as I was back then – didn’t find it frustratingly tough. I think it was hard to a very reasonable degree, and I kept on feeling rewarded by the narrative through the whole game.
– Real player with 131.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choices Matter Turn-Based Games.
Okay.. phwoa!!… long game. Just finished it - in at around 100 hours - Final Fantasy eat your heart out. A few late nights let me tell you. I feel that this game deserves the time and effort for me to write at least something about it and how I felt about it even if to just say it was a good game. But I will do more because I felt this game really was something special and I have derived so much enjoyment from it that it is the least I could do.
I bought this game on sale for a few pennies (I can’t remember now but I think it was for under $5) and didn’t really have too high hopes for it considering its price and look but was then completely overturned in my opinion by what is essentially a really great game that in no wise is properly represented by its appearance. DON’T judge a book by its cover! Boy, don’t judge this book by its cover, it is a great game for what its worth. I think this game goes for around $20 more or less on steam and that is about the right price for this game. You won’t regret parting with that hard earned cash. If you see this game for anything less than $10 buy it straight away, don’t hesitate, you won’t regret it. You might ask if it is such a great game why is it only worth $20 dollars? Well that is what I will attempt to explain.
– Real player with 115.8 hrs in game
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters
Lead humanity’s greatest weapon, the Grey Knights, against the corrupting forces of Chaos in this brutal and fast-paced turn-based tactical RPG. Root out and put a stop to an insidious plot to infect the galaxy with the Bloom, an intergalactic cosmic plague capable of rotting worlds into oblivion.
Armoured in faith, shielded by devotion, the Grey Knights’ very existence is rooted in mystery, enforced with mind-wipes and executions. Experience life in the 41st millennium and follow the journey of these elite warriors in a narrative penned by acclaimed Black Library author, Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
SHAPE THE FATE OF THE GALAXY
Upgrade your base of operations, build new facilities, conduct research into arcane mysteries and engage in combat missions across multiple worlds to purge the spread. The Bloom corrupts without prejudice; your choices will affect which planets succumb… and survive.
FORGE YOUR CHAMPIONS
Command your own, personalised squad of Grey Knights; learn a range of diverse skills and psychic abilities, unlock powerful equipment and specialise your champions into four unique standard and hero classes. Each of your warriors can be customised with voice, armour and facial options to make them your own.
PRECISION TARGETING
Grey Knights are an elite chapter of Space Marines and are not in the business of making mistakes or missing their shots. The Precision Targeting system puts you in control of your tactical decisions, allowing you to plan your strategy with confidence, whether by taking shots from afar with sure-fire accuracy, or dismembering and dismantling a foe in brutal melee combat!
MUTATING MONSTROSITIES AND THEIR MINIONS
As the Bloom corrupts worlds, environments will evolve and erupt with deadly hazards and minions, cultists and the infamous Death Guard Chaos Space Marines will mutate with pestilent boons and blessings, giving them new attacks and abilities. Adapt your tried and tested strategies to overcome unsurmountable odds against towering foes and their servants.
CINEMATIC SLAUGHTER
Charge headlong into fast-paced tactical combat. Eviscerate and execute enemies up close in gory displays of prowess, or strike from afar with blessed bullets and powerful psychic energies. Use the dynamically destructible environment to your advantage by tearing down pillars or slamming vehicles into unsuspecting enemies.
Heads Will Roll
Summary: A text-based RPG with static graphics, but beware that even on normal difficulty it is challenging and has a high degree of randomness, which is just as it should be for a game about a mediaeval foot soldier. If you are OK with that then give it a go, its a lot better than one of those walking simulators that pretend to be RPGs these days.
Summary for those who have played A Legionary’s Life: The obvious differences are that HWR has graphics and you can save and reload, but the main gameplay difference is that in LL an attack only costs stance/energy if you miss, while in HWR it always costs stance/energy. Hence in LL you often end up just making the same low-risk attack every turn, whereas in HWR you can’t do that, and this plus the varying attacks for different weapons makes combat in HWR more varied than in LL.
– Real player with 32.8 hrs in game
A lot of game for the money.
A hybrid cross between a “Choose Your Adventure” and a single character, turn-based battler.
It’s an engaging mix and when it works, it works quite well.
Unfortunately, the game is quite buggy. I have yet to make it through an entire run without encountering a game breaking bug ( usually at the end of a battle ). Since you can’t save during battle, you are sometimes forced to replay the same battle multiple times. This can be tedious or frustrating depending the difficulty and length of the battle you have to repeat.
– Real player with 26.1 hrs in game
Edifice of Fiends
Nice tiny tutorial how to do your fights & skills
Saving your progress is possible but at a certain cost :P
Each floor you progress through gives u shops & items to buy and improve your character
Interface kept simple but goes fast even playing with the keyboard
Gives you the possibility to change the keybindings
Game also is getting regular updates at the moment of writing
Some minor points:
First floors not have much of a scenery/setup change, took some floors to see a small chance, could use for sure some variations
– Real player with 3.4 hrs in game
I saw this on sale for 80% off ($1) and decided to pick it up.
Can’t recommend it. This is a poor RPG maker game and there are better ones out there.
Let’s take a look at the listings on the store and go one-by-one, shall we?
“Every choice matters as you try to fight your way to the top of the Edifice of Fiends”
Your choices are… what do I buy, and what skills/attributes do I spec into. There are not any other meaningful choices (well, I guess you could waste your time picking up a pickaxe/felling axe so that you can possibly make gear that is basically as good as what you can buy in the store)
– Real player with 2.6 hrs in game
Loop Hero
A wonderful, clever and new take on the roguelike genre w elements of other genres that would seem contrary, yet it works perfectly as a whole. There are plenty of secrets and combinations to discover, and I would suggest a new player stay far away from any spoiler guides as a big part of the fun is discovering these hidden elements on your own. Graphics are good for the style they’re trying to emulate and there’s a definite minimalist aesthetic to the game that adds much to the overall story and themes of the game itself. Honestly, after all the time I’ve spent, I really just want more of everything and hope there’s an expansion or, at least, DLC coming. I’d take a sequel too, as long as it maintains the core of the first one. This is, of course, best for people who actively already love the genres this straddles, have an open mind and love experimental games, or, at least, are not slaves to the graphical arms race of the triple A field.
– Real player with 289.6 hrs in game
7/10
Loop Hero is a very impressive and creative indie game. However, the advantages of this game cannot hide the disadvantages.
Roguelike, Management, Tactical. Of course, this game has such rich elements, you might feel very interested in the first few hours. Keep playing this game, you will find it becomes a little boring. You also need to spend a lot of time on this game or you might not pass this game easily, even from my points of view, this game maybe not worth you to spend those time.
– Real player with 107.2 hrs in game
Codename: Mystery Babylon
The rich and powerful across nations have found one common ground: control. Unbeknownst to most, hidden powers collude in the shadows; waging war to gain profits, passing laws to fit their agenda, and pacifying the masses.
Your guild is unwittingly thrust into this tale of intrigue. Explore the depths of this corruption and attain forbidden knowledge in the hopes you can survive. Will you lead your fledgling guild to success and learn the ultimate truth?
What is the true source of magick?
Upcoming Features
Guild Home Base Management
Become a high-ranking guild, a force to be reckoned with. Upgrade and renovate your guild hall through a series of immersive and intricate management mechanics.
Dueling System
Fight in tournaments across the known world for reward and glory! A duel is not always fought in contest. There may be times with no other options left to settle disputes - or perhaps times you simply wish to impress.
Influence-based Relationships
Watch your relationships flourish or falter. Face the consequences of your actions, as those around you are shaped by the choices you make.
Reputation & Renown
A guild is nothing without its reputation. Earn influence with certain factions or towns through a multitude of ways. Have the freedom to complete guild quests, fight in local tournaments, and more.
Guild Quests
Witness your guild rise to greater heights, increase your rank and meet more dangerous foes who wish to topple your success.
Godlike
Pointless wouldn’t play if it was free
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
The game makes little sense , most of the time i die after a couple of clicks on random events
i once raided another settelment , got ripped in two
it took me a few minutes of gameplay to even understand that i can click on different houses in the settelment to make changes and hire men
its just not fun for me , it doesn’t cost much so if you want , give it a shoot , i did (still not for me)
– Real player with 0.4 hrs in game
Pandora Galaxy
awhh yes pandora galaxy is an amazing experience reserved only for those who wish to explore the vast unknown of space
– Real player with 0.2 hrs in game